Someday Soon
by Broken Bracelet
Summary: You can't always expect things to stay the same. Most of the time, they never do.
1. Home Sweet Home

**A/N: Sup? I actually don't have anything to ramble about today. Go figure, eh? Oh, I saw the guy I liked today:) He's a year older, and I never get to see him... tear. But I did today. And I got a hug. Heck yes.**

I was running for my life and, believe it or not, doing it pretty damn well. It's not as if I _never _run – okay, yeah, I pretty much never run. But there's a difference. I don't run for fitness. I do run for my life.

As soon as I was sure that I'd lost them, I was able to start to walk. I was pretty close to Trenton now, actually. Yay. I saw the sign that said, "Trenton Makes and the World Takes", which you know- is always a comforting sight when you're running away from potential killers who have kidnapped you and held you hostage for six months.

I had a cramp in my side, my hair was frizzed out of its ponytail, and I was pretty sure that my clothes were all in disarray. They already didn't fit. My guess was I'd lost over thirty pounds while I'd been locked up without any food and forced to work, and I was really proud of myself. I probably looked good.

Hah. Yeah, right. More like a twig. I caught a cab and asked if he'd take to me Vincent Plum's Bail Bonding Company free of charge.

He gave me a look. "Girly," he said, giving me a Look, "this is my _job_, okay? Do you do your job for free? And I don't give rides to felons."

I sighed. "I'm not a felon," I said, "I've been held hostage for six months and currently have no cash on me. And I know it's your job. I don't do my job for free, but I'm afraid I don't have one because I _work_ at the bail bonding company. If you want, I'll give you my number and you can call me and I'll pay you back when I have money. All right?"

He sighed. "I don't take IOUs," he said. "You can walk there, for all I care."

Okay, time to pull out the big guns. No, not literally. "If you don't take me, I'll gas you. I carry pepper spray _everywhere_."

He gave me a look like he didn't believe me, but stepped on the gas anyway. I did eventually give him my information, and he took one look at it and gasped.

"Jesus," he said. "Stephanie Plum? You're kidding me. I thought you were dead. I mean, you look dead. But I thought you were really dead."

I could feel my eyebrows pull together and started to freak out... just a little bit. "Why'd you think I was dead?"

"The police pronounced you dead. There was news in the paper."

"Was there a picture?"

"No, no picture. Just a story on the third page. Underneath the college football score."

I was only on the third page? That was rude. I thought I'd be worthy of at least the second. "Okay, thank you," I said, "but I'm not dead. Seriously."

"Are you sure?"

It took me fifteen minutes to convince him that no, I wasn't dead, and he eventually drove off. It was doubtful he'd ever call me for his money, even though I had gone a pretty far way.

He dropped me off in front of Vinnie's office, and as I left, I felt a little scared. Did I really want to go in there? Everyone thought I was dead.

Don't be ridiculous, I told myself. Everyone will be glad to see you. Just go in there. Trust me. Beg for your job back. But don't be pathetic.

I pushed the door open before I could convince myself it was a bad idea, and I caught my reflection in the window. Maybe I should clean up a little. My gaunt face was rather scary, I was pale, and just as I'd thought, my hair was frizzy. My clothes didn't fit because I was literally emaciated – and it reminded me of when Vinnie was twelve and had pictures of supermodels who were skeletons hanging on his walls and in his school binders.

Eek. _Not _cool.

_Oh well_, I told myself. _Just go in there. You need to say hi._

"Hola," I said, waltzing into Vinnie's, as if I'd just seen them yesterday. Connie didn't look up, and it made me wonder if I was seriously crazy and like, a ghost or something. "Hello? Connie?"

She looked up and screamed. "Oh, my God, I thought you were one of those non-English speaking people who sometimes come in here looking for that Mexican restaurant down the street!"

I had no idea what she was talking about, but she gave me a hug anyway. "It's so good to see you," I said, figuring I needed to say something.

"I know. _Seriously_. You have no idea. I miss you a _lot_. So does Lula. She's in the back. LULA!"

I'd never heard Connie scream before, but it was loud. Of course, this was nothing compared to the scream Lula did when she saw me. I thought I'd gone deaf.

"Girl, you skinny!" she exclaimed.

I gave a Look. "But I'm alive, right? That's a good thing."

She nodded. "I know some people who'll think it's a _very _good thing."

She gave me a hug, and I figured this was definitely a good place. I knew that, well- let's face it, these people obviously didn't believe I was dead. Or else they would've been a little more shocked to see me. I guess.

I couldn't think of anything to say, and in the dead silence, I heard that someone had installed a sound system and soft music was playing in the background – _Goodbye Yellow Brick Road_. "Elton John?" I said, in disbelief. Neither Vinnie, Connie, nor Lula seemed like Elton John fans.

"Yeah, tell Vinnie to change the music," Lula said. "It sucks. He ain't playin' nothing worth listenin' to. I don't know what it is."

"So, what's been up?" I asked. "Fill me in."

Connie and Lula looked at each other. "Eh, got four hours?" Connie asked. "It's been kind of eventful... I don't know. Sort of."

So I found out that Denise Barkolowski had gotten married, Louise Correro had had a baby girl, and my parents had moved to Vermont.

"Are you freaking _kidding _me?" I asked. "My parents would never move out of the burg. I mean, if you gave them a choice between dying and leaving the burg, they'd die."

Lula shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Albert and Valerie moved to a suburb there, and thinking you were dead, your parents moved with them. I guess they had no reason to stay, or something."

"Speaking of no reason to stay," Connie jumped in, "I've got _major _gossip on that subject. I don't really know the entire story, but-"

She was quickly interrupted by an open of the door. Both Connie and Lula stood, their mouths gaping open, slightly less than when I'd walked in, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. Oh, no. Don't tell me the Slayers had found me?

"Babe," he said. "You don't look good."

A smile crept up my face, and I turned around, sinking into the arms of who other than Ricardo Carlos Manoso, mystery man of Trenton.

He encircled me in a tight hug, and when he finally let go, he smiled. "You were supposed to have been dead."

I was getting frustrated with people saying that. Obviously, I _wasn't_. "Yeah, I know," I said. "Guess I'm not, eh?"

He grinned. "Well, where've you been? It's been six months. And believe it or not, the burg has reshaped itself due to your disappearance." His cell phone went off, and he looked at the read-out screen. "Okay, I have to go," he said. "But... I'll call you as soon as I can for lunch, and I'll inform you of everything, all right?"

"Sure," I said. "But there's a chance I may have learned everything. I mean, I got my girls."

He snorted a laugh – something certainly strange to hear – and I couldn't help but smile. He gave me a kiss on the top of my head goodbye, and seemed to disappear through the door as fast as he'd come in.

"I-I-I can't believe he just did that," Connie stuttered. "He hasn't been in here in six months!"

"Guess Ranger just knows things, huh?"

"It's creepy," Lula commented. "That man is creepy. If he weren't so hot, I'd be officially scared. But the hotness offers some kind of comfort."

Tell me about it. "So what's been going on? How is everyone? So my parents are in Vermont, I'll visit there later. How's Mary Lou? What about Joe?"

Both of them were quiet for a long time, and then Lula looked at her shoes. Connie was the first one to speak.

"Yeah, um... about that... it's a long story. You may want to sit down."


	2. Here's Lookin' At You, Kid

**A/N: I am _so _working on my English project. I promise. We're supposed to be writing poems, and I'm... writing. So I'm halfway there. ;) Anyway, I didn't expect to update this fast but... well, your reviews inspired me. That should be inspiration to keep them coming. Although, you can't review unless I write something else, so I guess it's kind of a circular argument. In any case, thanks for _everything_! You guys all make me feel so good.**

**By the way... updates may not be so frequent in the past. This is because the school year is almost over and I have a TON of stuff to do. So be patient, kay? Love you all:)**

Sitting at lunch with Ranger, I didn't say much. And he really didn't expect me to. I did have a lot of questions, but I didn't want to ask them. Why ruin a perfectly good meal with questions that, deep down, I didn't want to know the answer to?

I looked up, realizing he'd been staring at me. "Don't look at me like that," I said. "I know what you're thinking, and I don't like it."

"I'm not thinking anything," he replied. "I'm just looking at you and wondering, I wonder when she's going to tell me her story."

Big sigh. "I don't really want to talk about it."

He nodded and gave a sympathetic look. "Unfortunately... we all have to do things we don't want to do. Trust me, I know all about it. I have to fly to Florida every Christmas to visit my daughter."

"You don't want to visit your daughter?"

"I want her to live here. Not in Florida."

Wow. That was a _big _confession just made by Ranger. He wasn't one for emotional statements, so I was taking it in.

"Tell me."

I sighed. "All right," I said, "but only because I'm afraid of you. I don't really remember what happened, but basically, I've been stuck in a warehouse for six months with little food and I miss everyone so much and I just want to see everyone. I want to see my parents. I want to see Valerie. I want to see Lisa, and Mary Alice, and Angie. I wanna see Joe, and I want to see Carl and Eddie, and I want people to tell me where they are."

This was true. I didn't want to go hunting down anyone. But I had a feeling I might not have to. I mean, let's be honest, y'know-? I was only gone for six months. You can't get _that _far away in six months. You can get pretty far, but... not so far where it's impossible to be found. "I have a question for you," I said, realizing something. "Connie told me you hadn't been in Vinnie's since I'd left. How did you know I was here today?"

He smiled one of those creepy, foreshadowing smiles that gave me goosebumps. "I just know."

"No one can just _know _something."

"Tank had been picking up an FTA for me, and he saw you. So I figured, if I was Stephanie, where would I go? Vinnie's."

"But... Connie said everyone thought I was dead."

"I didn't think you were dead."

"Really?" This was news to me.

He shrugged. "You have really good luck. I figured, with her luck, she could be thrown out of a fifth-story window and still survive."

This, I figured, was an exaggeration. But I didn't want to press him... or find out for real. "So, you knew I wasn't dead."

"I didn't know. I had an intuition."

"An intuition. Okay, so you thought I wasn't dead. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"And be considered crazy?"

Well, yeah. Not that Ranger cared much about public opinion. If he did, he'd do something to fix his reputation as being scary. Although actually, it was more than just a reputation. It was the _truth_. He scared me... a lot.

He signaled for the check. "Do you know everything yet?"

I shook my head. "Connie's phone rang, and she had to go before she could tell me. It's killing me to not know."

"I don't blame you. Listen, I'll tell you what's been going on, but no more than what you want to know. So what do you want to know?"

I did a mental eye roll, and then a sigh. "Where do I begin?"

He drove around Trenton for awhile, not really going anywhere, just _going_. We rode in silence for awhile, and I wasn't sure where I wanted to start. According to him, all I had to do was ask the questions. But I didn't know what questions I wanted answers to. "Where's Morelli?" I said suddenly, figuring it was the best place to start.

Ranger didn't answer for a long time, and if there's anything I've learned with Ranger, it's never repeat what you've already said. So I had a feeling I'd never get an answer when, all the sudden, he started to talk. "You know, no one really knows," he said. "Basically, the guy got depressed. Hey, his biggest fear is you disappearing, and getting hurt, and never coming back. And then all the sudden, it became more than just a fear, it was _reality_, and he got scared. And he got depressed. And he ran off. Now, like with everyone who has a broken heart, there's no guarantee that he'll make smart choices. So as far as I know, the guy's off in some other state, living his life the way he thinks he wants it. But he's not happy, that's pretty much all I know."

"How long did he stick around?" Like I cared.

"A month, _maybe_. Give or take a little. But hey, Steph- you've known him since you two were little. And every little thing reminded him of you. A garage. A Buick. A cupcake. It was all too much for him, and let's just say- he _really _didn't want to get into it anymore. So he just left. Took off. So I don't know where he is. No one does. Not even his own mother."

"Not even his _mom_? What about Grandma Bella?"

Ranger gave me a blank Look. "What did you think I meant when I said 'no one'?"

Okey-dokey. "So... you're saying he's gone."

"Absolutely. You wanna go looking for him? That's fine. But babe, you won't find him. This is a definite. I mean, unless you get lucky and stumble across him one day while looking for a Dunkin' Donuts, you won't find him. He knows everyone. He knows everywhere. And if I know anything at all, he's already wearing a fake moustache with a different name in Canada."

I sighed. "Why would he change his name?"

"Well, if you wanted to leave your past behind, would you keep your name?"

No. But then again, I didn't think Morelli and I were exactly alike in that many ways, either. But I gave in. "I know you don't think I'll find him," I started, "but it's not really back home until I do."

Okay, so it was kind of a corny line that sounded like something out of a syrupy Mandy Moore movie. But then again, I really did want to see him again. Even though, I felt like maybe I shouldn't. He's obviously moved on. Ranger, on the other hand... he was _there_ for me. When I came home, who was one of the first people I saw? Ranger. He was here. Morelli wasn't.

"You want to go looking for him, don't you?"

"Kind of."

He sighed. "All right. I'll help you. But only because I love you."

Interesting.

**A/N: Sorry so short. Longer chapter later. And don't assume anything... _yet_. Still not sure where I wanna go with this.**


	3. Gonna Hurt Like Hell Today

**A/N: Hehe. Third chapter. Whoa. Anyway, um... oh, as to the whole question about whether or not you should read this 'cause, y'know- is it a babe story? is it a cupcake story? My opinion (well, it's just mine, 'cause it's my story) is forget about it. P I know it sounds harsh, but trust me. What I have in mind as to where I want this to go shouldn't really matter (hehehe... I sound so evil. I should be sitting in a chair behind a desk stroking a white cat as I say this.)**

**Oh, and... thanks to everyone who's reviewed. I'll distribute big hugs all around, okay? Because nothing makes me happier than having finished a HUGE gigantic English poetry project at 5:30 (when I started at 10:00 in the morning) and seeing that you all have reviewed. It's so nice. Thank you. ) It makes me want to update more. Weird how that works, huh?**

So I sat in the middle of Pino's, devising a plan with the man who scared me the most. It's weird how life works.

"So, here's what I've heard," Ranger said, tracing a small outline of a circle with his pen on a napkin. "You know the guy ran off. The only question is, where to? Well, I've had Tank do some research."

He stopped there, and for a moment, I wondered if I should urge him to press on. I didn't really want to know how Tank did his research.

I made a gesture with my hands, and he continued. "Tank has a list of all the guys' friends... from pre-school buddies to former co-workers. Everything. And every state they live in now."

I got excited. "So you mean, it'd be really easy to find him."

"Sure, if he didn't have a friend in practically every state."

Oh.

"And province of Canada."

Double oh. "Well, are there any we can narrow out?"

"North Dakota, Hawaii, and Alaska."

Joy. I had mixed feelings about the Hawaii one. It might be fun to go to Maui or something, but then again, it would be kind of disappointing if it turned out he wasn't there. Or if I had to surf or eat roasted pig. In my dreams, I can surf. In reality, I'd fall flat on my face in front of Ranger. "So what, you're saying we have to go to all these states and see if he's in them?"

"Of course not. That's a stupid plan. Only you could come up with a plan like that."

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm kidding. Well, actually, I'm not. Only you _could _come up with a plan like that, but I meant it in a nice way. Anyway, look- here's what we're gonna do. I have contacts, all right?"

"Me too. Got them when I was 11. I think I want the colored ones now."

He gave me a look. "I mean people. I have _people_. I can call them up, ask them to do a quick – yet thorough – search if this is really want you want to do. Are you sure it's really what you want to do?"

The way he said it made me mad. Even if it wasn't really what I wanted to do, his tone of voice made me want to just to tick him off. "Yes." No.

"Well, I'll make some calls, then," he said, getting up and dropping a twenty on the table. "I'll call you later."

"Not if I call you first."

"What?"

"I don't know."

The phone rang at 3 AM, and I had a sharp pain of fear before I realized I currently had no creepy stalker guys coming after me. The fear melted away into worry, because the only calls that came at 3 AM were bad ones.

"Babe. Back your stuff. I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, boy."

"Not like that."

"I didn't say anything. What do you mean by a surprise?"

"I think we've found him."

Oy. Upon realization of this, I, again, had mixed feelings. Part of me wanted to go back to bed, because when I woke up in the morning, it would all be okay. Because I wouldn't know how he was doing.

And then there was the question of did I want to get back together with him? Ranger scared me, sure, but... at least he understood me. We were more or less in the same occupational industry. More or less being the key words. But whatever. Anyway you sliced it, Ranger could read my mind. I was almost sure of it.

Better judgment told me I shouldn't go, but better judgment has never been the biggest part of me, so I packed my stuff and waited downstairs for Ranger.

He pulled up in his truck, with at least three others following him, and smiled at me when I got in his car. "You don't look good. Nervous?"

"No." I lied. "How'd you find him so fast?"

"Like I said, I know people. And I have more than one phone line, so I can talk to a lot of people at the same time. It's actually pretty cool. Who knew that technology could be so cool?"

I smiled and leaned back into the seat, smelling the new-car smell that always seemed to linger with the truck. "So, why're you doing this for me?"

"Because I think you think it'll make you happy. And if you think it's what will make you happy, then you'll be happy... and I like it when you're happy."

"Doesn't happen too often, does it?"

"Happens more than you think."

I rolled my eyes, and then they inadvertently shut.

I woke up when we reached the airport, and practically sleep-walked my way past the tickets, the security checks, and just about everything else. I felt fully awake when I was seated on the plane, next to Ranger.

"I can't believe you're who you are, and we're flying coach. That has to be absolutely the most saddening thing I have ever experienced."

"Really?"

"Well, my first date with Dickie. But that's about it. This is the second most saddening thing I have ever experienced."

Then it was his turn to roll his eyes at me.

"Where are we?" I asked when I woke up again. The plane had landed, from what I could tell, and I realized I had just gotten on a plane with Ranger without any knowledge of where we were going.

A small tinge of panic twisted in my stomach, and I tried to convince myself it was just hunger, but in reality, I was scared.

He gave me a grin. "You're scared."

"No I'm not."

"You're lying."

"Yes I am."

He put an arm around me. "Babe? Welcome to Houston."

"Houston?"

"Yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "As in Houston, Texas? What are we doing here? There is _no way _that he moved to _Texas_. That's like... the opposite of him."

"Exactly."

I didn't know what point that proved, but I got off the plane anyway. By the time we'd hailed a cab, checked in at the hotel, and gotten in our rooms, I was feeling as if I didn't really care whether or not we found him. I just wanted to go back home.

Anyway, I was instructed by Ranger _not _to leave the hotel under any circumstances, so Tank and I played Jenga, Monopoly, and Connect Four. By that time, Tank had fallen asleep on the couch watching _Viva la Bam _and I snuck out of the hotel room, silently laughing that, of all people, Tank was a victim of jet lag.

I felt superior. Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah. Sure, I'd get caught, but... who really cared? Not me. I had very, very big doubts that Ranger would actually inflict punishment. Scare me half to death, maybe, but this happened on a day-to-day basis so it wasn't really any different.

I snuck down to the Town Square (not sure how I found it), and took a seat at the Baker Street Pub bar. I sat in a bar stool in the dark corner, trying to stay hidden, watching a football game on TV, listening to the guys around me talk about it. Jeez.

The game ended, and the bar cleared out, and I was sitting there, sipping a water, thinking about my life, and the guys in it, and the guys who were currently not in it, when I couldn't help but think about how maybe... life wasn't so great after all.

It was hot, and humid, and I wanted to go back to the hotel, but I didn't want to, because I knew if I went back... well, there wouldn't be anything there worth going back to.

But then again, I couldn't really think of anything worth going back to in Trenton, either.

Except maybe Ranger.

I left the bar and walked around a little bit, liking the melancholy feel. All these buildings, and they all looked the same.

Suddenly, I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. And to quote my niece, Mary Alice, I'll give you three guesses as to who it was and the first two don't count.

"Stephanie?"

Okay, time to face this. You can do this. This is doable. In fact, this is more than doable, it's... mega-doable. If you can't do this, you're a chicken. Insert chicken noises.

"Hi!" I said. "What's up?"

Way to go. I mean, if you haven't seen the guy for six months, why would you say hi, what's up? I mean, who _does _that?

Big, uber-sigh. "Are you... I thought you were dead."

"I was. I mean, no, I wasn't. Dead, I mean. Gone, I was. Yeah. So you could say that... yeah, I was gone. Because... they kidnapped me. And they... put me in a warehouse. And I stayed there. For six months."

He gave me a hug, and I started to cry, and then he started to cry, and then I felt bad, because I made him cry.

Oy, my life is complicated.

"So you found him," Ranger said, pacing around the hotel room in apparent distress and confusion.

"Yes."

"How is it that, I've been looking for this guy using all the best technology, all the people I know, and yet you find him because you _stumble across him in a parking lot_?" Okay, he was officially mad. I wasn't sure why, though.

"That's... the story."

He rolled his eyes. "Oy, how do you do it?"

Good question. "Look, I don't know! Okay? All I know is... I'm confused. I don't know what to do about this."

"About what?"

Oops, said too much. I didn't mean to inform of him of my whole go-with-Morelli/go-with-Ranger problem. "About nothing."

Ranger sighed. "Did he give you his number?"

"Yeah."

"Call the guy. You haven't seen him for six months. Call him, and hang out with him, because you deserve it."

I thought it was weird that he used the phrase 'hang out', but whatever. I didn't think it was right to argue that point.

I dialed his number, and a woman picked up. Whoa. "Hello," I said. "Is Joe there?"

There was a long pause. "Yeah, what do you want with him?"

"I just wanted to talk to him."

"He's not in right now. You probably shouldn't call anymore."

Oh, my God. A wave of realization crashed over me. "Oh, my God, Terry Gilman?"

"Uh, no. It's Terry Morelli now. So, I have to go, but don't call back, kay? 'Cause he's not here, and I don't know when he'll be back. All right, buh-bye."

She slammed the phone down, and I felt as if the entire world had just fallen on my entire shoulders.

Terry _Morelli_?


	4. Second Chances

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry, but I don't know how fast I'll update, so this is going to be a really quick story. I'm almost at the end. So sad. Thanks to everyone who's supported me and forced me to publish this (ahem Kayley). But yeah, this is a super short chapter since I have to review for exams and all. Anyway... I'm almost done with the school year! Next year I'm gonna be a senior, isn't that scary? Haha. Oh yeah. But I don't really want summer to be here, as I live in Arizona and it's HOT. ) **

**But yayy... this summer, I'm going to Houston to visit my sister. I haven't seen her in forever! I know you all don't care! Oh well! ;)**

**Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything, but who knows which book it's in where they mention that Ranger has a daughter? I need it for a book report. I can't remember and don't have time to read all the books over again... sigh. They all blur together to me.**

"Okay, calm down. Take a deep breath, and tell me the story again."

You gotta hand it to Ranger. He really knows how to calm people down. But whatever. I was freaking out, not able to talk straight, because, well- you gotta admit, Terry is a scary enough name. Add Morelli to the end of it, and you've pretty much got a living nightmare.

I told him about how I'd called Joe's house, and how Terry had answered, and announced it was Terry _Morelli _instead of Terry _Gilman_.

Ranger isn't one to show emotion. Like, ever. I don't think I've ever really seen him shocked, utterly speechless, at anything, but this was enough to make his jaw drop. He stared at me. "Are you sure?"

"That's what she said."

"Wow, can't believe I didn't know that."

I shuddered. "What do you think? Should I call him back, and like- talk to him? Or should we just go back to Trenton, y'know, and forget about it?"

Ranger sat down, still obviously in shock. "Uh... I don't know."

This was _very _un-Ranger, and not only that, it was kind of scary. Ranger wasn't supposed to not know. He was supposed to tell me what to do. "You don't?"

"Do whatever you want."

Well, we all know _that's _not a good idea.

* * *

I paced around my hotel room until I felt like screaming, and then I went out. Not sure where I was going, but I knew I had to get out of there. Just a hint: if you don't know where you are and you're in a strange city, chances are it's _not _a good idea to just go driving and walking around. Because you'll get lost, and you won't know where you are.

Not that this happened to me, or anything.

I was about to get something to eat when my cell phone rang. "Hey, Steph?"

I immediately felt angry, realizing who it was - Morelli. "Oh, yeah. Um, hey, how's the wife?"

"What wife?"

"Yours."

There was a very long pause. "Um... what are you talking about?"

"Oh, pretending like you don't know. Very cute. Listen, I called your house, and Terry Gilman answered the freaking phone, and told me she was Terry _Morelli_ now. It was really great! Congratulations, though. I'll send you guys a present. Expect it in the mail."

I was being bitter, but I didn't care. In reality, I knew that he had every right to be married. I mean, it wasn't like I'd reserved him, or anything, and he'd thought I was dead. So of _course_, he had every right, but... I was still mad. Like, way to grieve, you know?

He sighed. "Okay. You know what, we need to talk about this. But I can't leave, so I'll try to explain it to you. It's not Terry Morelli."

I softened. "It's not?"

"Not _yet_."

Oh, so they were _engaged_. That's a whole lot better. Yay. "Oh, well, that changes everything."

He sighed again, and I could tell he was rolling his eyes. "Look, you know- I'm only engaged to her because I thought you were... you know. And if I had known that you weren't, you know... I wouldn't have even thought about it."

Aww. How touching. Not.

I raised an eyebrow, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah! And you know... I was thinking and... I don't think I'm gonna go through with it. Marrying Terry, I mean. 'Cause now that you're back, I..."

Eek. Why did I have to get all mushy? Why? _Why_? Hang up the phone, Steph. Hang up the phone, for your own good. Don't say another word, just hang up the phone.

"You won't marry her?" Yeah, that's not saying another word. I have such amazing self-control.

"Of course not. I promise. Just as long as you're sure that this is what you want."

* * *

"Don't believe a word this guy says," Ranger informed me the next day, after I'd finished informing him of the lengthy details of yesterday's conversation. "I know, I know. He's a good guy, and you have every reason to trust him, but... you haven't talked him for six months. No one knows anything about him anymore. You know? Just... don't believe him."

"Are you being bitter?"

"Of _course _I'm not being bitter. I'm just saying, for your own good."

Insert big sigh and mental eye roll. "Look, Ranger- I'm really glad you're looking out for me. It scares me and yet somehow makes me feel safe at the same time, which is quite an interesting feeling, but... you know what? I can take care of myself. I know I have like, no luck with guys, and have no judgment when it comes to making good decisions, but... I really don't think people can change that much in six months."

"Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't think people can change?"

"Well, I do, but... he was a really good guy."

"So you know, all the times that he left you in the dark about a project he was working on, that's being a good guy. That's being trustworthy?"

Okay. He got me there. Morelli _had _done a lot of things that made me question his trust, but at the same time, he'd never exactly proved to be doing anything _hideously_ untrustworthy, and... why was I standing up for the guy? I didn't know.

"Look, I don't... I don't know, okay? But I'm gonna see him again, and I'm gonna give him a second chance, because that's what you do to people. You give them second chances."

Ranger nodded, and then smiled. "You're a good person, Steph. I love that in you. You're a good person."

I was a good person? And yet, here I was, being totally in love with two guys at the same time. And he's saying I'm a good person.

Oh, if only he knew...


	5. Something You Knew All Along

**A/N: Guess who's back. Back again. Becca's back, tell a friend. Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, nyah nyah nyah...**

**So um. Now that that pathetic song and dance number is over... I'll get back to the actual point... P So school's out and I am officially a senior. That is incredibly exciting, woot. But uhh... yeah. **

**This is the last chapter. Not just because I'm pretty sure that very few people are reading this now, but because I'm... well, really sick of writing it. I have no inspiration. I've had writers' block for the past 82956209462843690 days (number not accurate), and EOT comes out in like two days. And you all will want to read that anyway. ;)**

**Thanks for everyone for sticking by me for all these five awesomely bad chapters. You all are so great.**

**And a special thanks to Diana for answering my question. You are so awesome:)**

**As a last note... the end of the chapter is the end. It's supposed to be that way, so you can decide how you want it to end for yourself, because I couldn't decide. Aren't I just so cool:)**

**Love always,**

**Bec**

* * *

"I officially suck."

Lula raised an eyebrow at me. "You do? Why, what happened?"

I shrugged and slumped down on the polyester couch in Vinnie's office. I sighed, not sure where to begin, where to end. "To make a long story short, I just suck. There's no other way around it. I love two guys and I had a dream last night that I had to choose in, you know, twenty seconds, or whatever, and it was really stressful. And I think it's an omen."

She nodded. "You're right. It is an omen. You should probably choose between the two of them before you spontaneously combust."

This didn't make any sense to me, but I didn't feel like pushing it. "Joe said he wouldn't marry Terry if I didn't want him to."

"Is it what _he _wants?"

"Good question. I don't know. I don't think so, because... well, he wouldn't've made the offer. But then on the other hand, I don't want to tell him not to marry her and then have it not work out between us and then... and then there's Ranger, and I just... it's so... I mean, I'm like... you know?"

Connie shook her head. "You know, I really don't. You're upset. You can't speak in full sentences. I think you need a doughnut."

I clenched my teeth. Why didn't they _get _it? "I don't... need... a doughnut. I need to figure my entire life out in a day! How am I supposed to do this?"

"He only gave you a _day_?" Lula said, in disbelief. "That doesn't seem fair. You can't decide your entire life in a day."

Okay, so I didn't actually have to choose in a day. I shared this with her, and she nodded. "Yeah, you know what?" I said. "I have time. I can figure this out."

* * *

"Wait, tell me again," I replied, on my cell phone. Who relayed this kind of message over the phone? Hmm...? That's what I want to know. Where is the romance in that, I ask you?

Ranger sighed again, and I could tell he was smiling. "I'm leaving Trenton. Okay, New Jersey. I can't tell you where, okay? But I can tell you that... if you don't want me to leave, I won't."

Oy vey. "And... how long do I have to decide that?"

"My plane leaves in about... twenty-four hours."

So I _did _have a day to figure out what I wanted. "Well, I _don't _want you to leave. I mean, I like having you here. You always help me out and you're a great friend."

I could tell he felt like he was talking to a five-year-old. "I know. But that's not what I'm saying. Think about it for awhile."

I did. "Oh. You mean, if I want to you to stay because I want to be more than friends."

"Exactly."

Yeah, I definitely did have to decide in a day. "Can I think about it?"

He laughed softly, barely loud enough for me to hear. "Yeah, although you shouldn't have to. You should just know."

"I know I should."

* * *

I promised Ranger I'd call him in the morning and let him know. He didn't have to leave until about 8:30 in the morning, which is early for me, but since it was 2:00 in the morning and I'd been trying to sleep for hours, chances were I wouldn't have to wake up at all. I'd already be awake.

I thought about it. This wasn't fair. I shouldn't have to choose.

But then again, I did have to. It wasn't fair to keep them both hanging on.

And suddenly, as I gazed at a streetlight that you could see from my window, I realized it. I didn't need to choose. I had known who was right for me all along. It was crystal clear. And yet I couldn't see it. I'd always known that someday – _someday _– I would have to choose, and I thought it would be hard. But it wasn't.

How stupid can you be?

I laughed, sitting up in bed, thinking about it.

I loved both of them.

But I now knew who was right for me. And as I rolled over, I was finally, at last, happy.


End file.
